Folding rocking chair



Feb. 27, 1951 P. o. BElL FOLDING ROCKING CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 194'? In R *M @N w g".--

Paw Z Qflez'i Feb. 27 1951 P. o. BEIL FOLDING ROCKING CHAIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 Gama/1s Feb. 7 1951 2,543,273

- FOLDING ROCKING CHAIR Filed Sept. 2, 1947 s Sheets$heet s Pau Z Ujfieil 3% MQMiq/vws Patented F eb. 27, 1951 UNITED :s TATES PATENT oFF-I FOLDING PROCKI'NJG *GHAIR Paulo. Ben, Chili, 'vvis.

Applicat'ionSepteinber 2, 19 17, Serial Nof771fi593 2- Claims. 3

This invention relates to chairs and 'm'ore particula'rly to folding or collapsible rocking chairs.

It is an object of this invention "to provide an improved folding rockingchair which is so constructed and "arranged that in the extended or I lihfbldd position it Will provlde a Substantially mounted rocking chair and which may be folded nearly completely flat in its collapsed or folded pos'ition.

Another'obj'ect of this invention is to provide an improved folding -roc'king ohair of 'the kind to be "more particularly described hereinafter which is formed of a minimum "n'u'mbrofhingedly connected parts so constructed and arranged to provide a very'light weight and-portable chair,

while having suitable strength and rigidity.

'Stillanoth'er object of this'invention is 'to provide 'a-fol ding rocking-chair'ofthis kindsoc'on- 's trnctd and arranged that in its 'folded orcollapsed position the lower frame "and the connecting links 'and'hin ges between the'lbwer frame and upper frame will be substantiallydisposed within the "marginal edges of the'upper'or'la'iiger frame memb'er. v

Afurther object of thisinventioni's to provide a foldingrocking-chair of this kind havinlef-a' foldinglink-bet'ween thelower ends of the upperfand lower frame members for holding the lower ends "in fixed relation in the unfolded orextended position of the chair, while being collapsible to provide for thedisposition of the lower frame withinthe-upper frame in the folded position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved folding rocking chairofthis "kind'which is so constructed and'arra'ngedthat it is readily adaptable to'theeconomi'c manufacture and at a cost suitable for the 'retail' sale thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a folding rocking chair that will not mar the floor or Work into'the ground when'used-on-a lawn.

' Another Object of this invention is toprovide a folding rockinghhair that will not tip" over backwards, no matter how hard it isrocked.

Another object ofthis invention'is to provide a folding rocking chair that can bestored in a 'very small'space and carried with little difficulty.

With the foregoing objects and others which "mayhereinafter appear, the invention consists of't'he novel construction, combination end arrangement of parts as will he'more specifically re- Ier'red to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein are shown embodimentsof the "invention; but it is to be understood that changes,

i2 variations and modifications may be resorted "to 'whioh fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 isa "sid'ekelev ation ofiafolding rocking c'hair'constructedaccording to an embodiment of this invention;

'Fi'g ure'2'is' a rear elevation; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken 'on the line 3 '3 of F-igure 2; and partly b'roken away;

Fi'g ii-re 4 is a fragmentary transverse section Figure 5 is a T fragmentary transverse detailed section taken on the line 5:5 :of Figure 3 Fig-ore 6 -is a horizontal section "takenon 'the Figure '7 is a sideelevation of the chair :partly folded.

Referring 'to the drawings, the numeral 9 designates generally an improved "folding rocking chair which is soconstrn'cted andarranged that in its extendedor unfolded position it'will provide 1 a substantial rocking "chair or chair ad- -just'able'for anv desired inclination.

'The chair f0 is adapted in its folded position "to --be 'siibstaritially contained within the houndanes' or extremities of the largeriof the'frames.

" Ihe "folding chair It is constructed With'an 30 Upper or r'earwarely an'd upwardly I inclined exsi'cl'e members 1 2 and I-"3 connected together "at their upper and lower ends by" horizontally 'exteridii'i'g frame M. 'The frame H is .'formed of tending frame members M and I5. 'A'lower frame 45 is di'sp'osd for 'folding within the larger or "outer fraine ll. The lower"frame lfi'is formed "(ii -"side m-e1rihers ll'and lB which are inclined forwardly and iipwardl'yin the hermal extended pos ition of thee-hair i0.

' together in spaced apart relationat their ends -by horizontal members Hand "20. -frame members H- -and l'8-ofthe lower frame L6 The side are disposed between the side frame'members t2 -and I3 ofthe upper or outer frame I I.

In the-normalextended position of the chair I'll the frames H and Hi'are disposed in crossed relation. 'The frame I l is for-med with' the side 'membersthereof-considerably longer than the r side members of the lower frame It so that the upper-endof*tlie side members i2 and l3 may c'onstitiite'the hack of the chair.

- A fabric seat fl is disposed between the upper "ends' of the' frames- 1 Pand lfi being connected to the apper horizontal frame member M at the 3 lower end and about the upper horizontal frame member I4 at its upper end.

The side frame members I! and I8 are loose relative to the side frame members I2 and I3 of the larger or outer frame to permit the sliding and pivoted movement of the lower frame within the outer frame as the chair Ii] is folded. A connecting link 22 is pivotally connected between the side members of the two frames for securing them together above the intersection of the two frames in the normal extended position of the chair. The link 22 is formed of an elongated rod having its ends 24 and 25 oppositely bent at right angles for pivotal engagement into the side frame members. One end of the S- shaped connecting rod 22 is pivotally connected in the upper end of the side members of the lower frame I6 and the other end as 24 is pivotally connected in one of the side frame members 'of the larger frame I I approximately midway of the length thereof.

The central portion of connecting bar 26 of the link 22 is disposed between the adjacent frame members of the frames II and I6 as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

One link 22 is disposed on each side of the chair IE1 in opposite relation to the other. The lower end of the chair I is formed of connecting links which are foldable in the folded position of the chair. A foot member as 2'! is pivotally connected to each of the lower ends of the side frame members I! and I8 of the inner or lower frame I6 and foot members 28 are pivotally connected to the lower ends of the side frame members I2 and I3 of the larger outer frame II. The foot members 2'! and 28 are substantially U-shaped in cross section having upwardly extending ears 29 at one end thereof between which the side frame members are pivotally engaged.

A link 3I connects the members 21 and 28 together at each side of the chair at the lower end of the side frames. The folding link 3I is connected at each end thereof to the foot members 21 and 28 or formed integral therewith. The link 3I is formed of a pair of hingedly connecting link members 34 and 35 pivotally connected together at one end thereof by a hinge 36. 'The hinge 36 is so constructed and arranged that the link members 34 and 35 may be folded in one direction as upwardly in Figure l and may not be folded beyond the aligned position in the other direction.

A stop pin as 31 is fixed to or formed on one of the link members as 34. The stop pin 31 is adapted to engage the other link member 35 to hold the link 3| rigid in the extending position thereof. Since the side frame members of the frame I3 are disposed inwardly of the side frame members of the frame II, the link members 34 and 35 connected thereto are also disposed in a slidable side-by-side relation as indicated in Figure 6.

A substantially horizontal arm rest 38 is pivotally connected to the side frame members I2 and I3 of the upper frame I I by a hinge bracket 39 fixed to the side members I2 and I3 above the hinge point of the link 22. A vertically extending link All also S-shaped pivotally connects the outer end of the arm rest 38 to the upper end of one of the side frame members I! and I8. The S-shaped link 40 is connected at its lower end by one outwardly extending end thereof engaging pivotally through the upper end 4 of one of the members I! and I8 at the pivotal connection of the link 22.

The link 40 similar to the link 22 is disposed between the adjacent frame members of the frames I I and I6 as seen in Figure 2. The length of the link 40 is substantially the same length as the distance between the connection of the link 22 to the side frame members I2 and I3 and the pivot brackets 39.

The links 22 and 40 together with the arm rests 38 and the section of the side frame members I2 or I3 constitute a 4-bar linkage which is foldable along the length of one of the side frame members I2 or I3. In the use and operation of this folding chair II! when initially set up in the extended position as seen in Figure l the chair may be folded by raising the forward end of the lower frame I6 upwardly toward the upper end of the larger outer frame I I. In folding the chair the linkage 3I is initially broken at the hinge 36 upwardly. This movement will cause the lower end of the lower frame I6 to move upward relative to the lower end of the upper frame II. As the lower end of the frame I6 moves toward the lower end of the frame II, the upper end of the frame It will move upwardly .about an arc with the point 24 of the link 22 as a center.

The 4-bar linkage described above will reach a straightened position with the upper end of the frame I6 disposed between the side frame members of the upper frame II as the linkage 3I is completely folded.

As shown in Figure 7, the 4-bar linkage of the upper end of the chair I!) is nearing its straightened position while the linkage 3| at the lower end of the chair is also being folded within the frames. Considering Figure "I, the further movement of the frames together will cause the links 22 and arm rest 33 to become further straightened for disposing the links 22 and the said frame members of the frame I6 within the frame I I.

For unfolding the chair to its extended position, the upper end of the lower frame I6 need merely be pulled forwardly of the frame I I so that the linkage 3I on the foot members 21 and 28 will again become straightened out as shown in Figure 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An improved folding rocking chair comprising a rectangular upper frame, a rectangular lower frame substantially shorter than said upper frame, the side members of one of said frames being disposed loosely between the side members of the other frame, said frames being disposed in crossed relation in the normal extended position of said chair, a flexible seat member secured between the upper ends of said frames, a link pivotally connected to each of the side members of said upper frame intermediate the length thereof and pivotally connected to each of the side members of said lower frame at the upper ends thereof, said link being formed of a rod having oppositely bent frame connecting end portions, a pair of arm rests, each of said arm rests being pivotally connected at the rear end thereof to one of the side members of said upper frame, a pair of arm rest supporting links pivotally connecting the forward ends of said arm rests and the upper ends of the side members of said lower frame, each of said arm rest supporting links being formed of a rod having oppositely bent frame and arm rest connecting end portions, a

pair of foldable link members between the lower REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Walker Dec. 11, 1928 Kendall Mar. 4, 1930 Martin July 7, 1936 Bascom June 4, 1940 

